The differences between neurological and psychiatric disease

The terms "neurological disease" and "psychiatric disease" are often used interchangeably., and there are even many experts who consider that there are no real differences between the two types of disorder.

In this article we will describe the differences and similarities between neurological and psychiatric diseases.

What are neurological diseases?

Neurology is the branch of medicine that deals with the study of the anatomy, functions and organic alterations of the nervous system. This discipline is largely based on the contributions of neuroscience, which is defined as the study of the nervous system as a whole and draws on methods such as cell analysis and neuroimaging.

When we speak of neurological diseases, we are referring in a general way to any type of disorder involving the nervous system, regardless of its causes or its symptom. Therefore, it is a very broad term that can be used for phenomena as different as insomnia and the Korsakoff syndrome.

There are many different types of neurological diseases

. These can be classified according to different criteria; If we are guided by the location of the alterations, one of the most common, we find disorders neurological disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, or autonomic nervous system.

Some illustrative examples of the disorders that are usually categorized as neurological diseases are dementias and other disorders neurodegenerative, neuropathies, epilepsy, or behavioral disorders caused by brain injuries, such as aphasia (which affects language) and the apraxia (associated with movement planning).

The causes of neurological diseases are as varied as their manifestations. Among the most common we find genetic alterations, nerve injuries due to external causes, infections, vascular disorders and lifestyle factors such as malnutrition or excessive consumption of certain compounds.

Psychiatric illnesses or mental disorders

The concept "psychiatric illness" can be considered equivalent to that of "mental disorder", which predominates in the field of psychology, with which psychiatry overlaps in a very significant (and often problematic) way. It is used to talk about alterations related to external behavior or what we know as "mind".

Psychiatry is the specialty of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders or illnesses. Unlike psychology, it specializes specifically in pathology; in this sense it is very close to clinical psychology, although psychiatrists can prescribe pharmacological treatments.

This discipline has been even more questioned than psychology for its conception and handling of mental problems. Critical perspectives with psychiatry deny the social labeling that derives from cut-off diagnoses the rigidity of this type of procedure and the medicalization of interindividual differences not pathological.

Psychiatric illnesses can be due to both organic and environmental causes; for example, traits like neuroticism, which predisposes to the development of anxiety disorders, are largely determined by factors Genetic factors, although stress and other psychosocial variables (e.g. substance abuse) are also fundamental.

Among the so-called mental disorders we can highlight alterations such as schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, anorexia and bulimia nervosa, post traumatic stress disorder, dementias and Bipolar disorder. As we can see, some of them can also be categorized as neurological diseases.

Differences and similarities between these types of alteration

In general, psychiatry and neurology tend to be understood as complementary sciences. Thus, both would share an interest in many disorders, although each of them would specifically address some and would make a different emphasis on the analysis of the manifestations of the alterations and on their correlates neurophysiological.

However, there are those who consider that the syndromes that we refer to as “psychiatric illnesses” are simply neurological disorders whose anatomical and physiological features have not been fully identified by the moment. From this perspective, psychiatry would not be necessary but an example of the atavistic mind-body dualism.

David and Nicholson (2015) deny this idea and propose that the basic difference between neurology and psychiatry is that the latter focuses on behaviors and psychiatry. mental contents such as thoughts, perceptions and emotions, whereas neurology deals preferentially with the organic basis of the disorders.

Along the same lines, Baker et al. (2002) warned that neurology should be cautious, although they stated that psychiatry would equally benefit from the insights gained by neurosciences. According to the authors, mental health cannot be reduced to its neuroanatomical correlates; Each of these sciences would therefore have its own field of specialization.

Bibliographic references:

• Baker, M. G., Kale, R. & Menken, M. (2002). The wall between neurology and psychiatry: Advances in neuroscience indicate it's time to tear it down. BMJ, 324 (7352): 1468-9.
• Gives life. S. & Nicholson, T. (2015). Are neurological and psychiatric disorders different? British Journal of Psychiatry, 207 (5): 373-4.